January 8, 2010

Ozzie to bat Alex Rios second?

Rios is a five-tool player whose best season for the Toronto Blue Jays was 2007, when he hit .297 with 24 home runs, 85 RBI and 17 steals, but last season, after arriving in a midseason trade, Rios hit .199 in 41 games for the White Sox playing right field and center field.

It represented a low point for Rios, whose on-base percentage tumbled from a career high of .354 in 2007 to .296 in 2009. The Blue Jays were so eager to rid themselves of the more than $60 million remaining on Rios’ contract that they let him go to the White Sox on a waiver claim.

Now, the White Sox must figure out how to get him back on track, as he is under contract to them through 2014.

“I don’t think he could be worse than he was,” Guillen says. “That would be hard to do.

“I told Rios, ‘Get on base twice in the game. We don’t need 40 home runs from you. We want it, but I’d rather you get on base and steal.’ I might bat him second to make sure his game changes a little bit.”